Bulgaria

Holders of Valid passports from any of the countries listed below do not require a visa to visit Bulgaria and may stay in Bulgaria for up to 90 days in any six month period

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA, Uruguay, the Vatican, Venezuela, SAR – China (Hong Kong, Macao)

Note: British Citizen Passport Holders

If you are a holder of a British Subject Passport you should enquire at the Bulgarian Embassy before planning to travel.  Holders of a British Subject Passport are NOT covered under the above rules and will require a current visa to enter Bulgaria.

Holders of passports from countries not listed above require visas to enter Bulgaria and should apply to their nearest Bulgarian Embassy.

Passports must be valid for at least 3 months after the end of the intended stay, should a visa be required you must be a blank page available.

The Long Stay Certificate (also known as the Durable Residence Certificate).

( Austria, Belgium, The Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom)

Rules as of January 1st 2007 allow longer than 90 day stays in Bulgaria but you must arrange this in Bulgaria. Application for Long Stay Certificate is made at a police station that has an immigration office, normally to be found in the main town or city of each Bulgarian administrative region.  It is possible to apply to stay for a period of over 90 days and up to five years.   You should ensure you have  all the paperwork at hand, a Long Stay Certificate should be issued the same day, and either no fee or minimal will be charged.

However it is possible that local immigration officers may implement varying interpretations of the rules, and may ask for different sets of paperwork.

The main Grounds on which you may apply for a Long Stay Certificate

1) Being employed or self employed in Bulgaria.

2) Being self supporting.

3) Being a student in Bulgaria.

Passport

Birth Certificate

Marriage Certificate (if applicable)

You may also be required to produce your House deeds or proof of where you will be living plus proof of having been registered at some point during your current trip to Bulgaria.

Health Insurance is also a requirement and you may find your 'European Health Insurance Card' will satisfy requirements of proof of Health Insurance. The date on your EHIC card is important as you may only be issued a Long Term Certificate up to the card expiry date.

Some areas in Bulgaria are requesting proof of private medical insurance and as you may only be in a position to show proof of insurance for one year this may limit the length of your Long Term Certificate.

If your application is on the grounds of being employed or self employed, you will be required to provide proof of this, a contract from your employer or the current status of your trading company

(The company registration documents, a declaration that the company is still active plus the Bulstat card).

Should your application be on the grounds of being self supporting you will need to show a letter from your Bulgarian bank proving the ability to be self supporting.

Students Applying for a Long Stay Certificate will have to provide a letter from their place of education.

After five continuous years of residency in Bulgaria on Long Stay Certificates you may apply for Permanent Residency.  Though there are circumstances, such as, marriage to a Bulgarian Citizen when it is possible for you to apply after a shorter period.

This information is for guidance only as requirements may change from time to time and we would advise you to check with the authorities prior to travelling to Bulgaria

London, The Bulgarian Embassy Website